


Skinny Love

by CarryOnMySwanSong



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Crossbow, F/M, Fate & Destiny, Mention of abuse, Mention of blood, Salt And Burn, Swearing, confronting abuser, plus size reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2019-03-12 02:43:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13538001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarryOnMySwanSong/pseuds/CarryOnMySwanSong
Summary: (Y/n) finds herself at the tail end of an abusive relationship. She confronts her fiance. What follows is the story of how she heals, becomes a hunter, and finds love again.[This is for @there-must-be-a-lock’s (on tumblr) writing prompt “Lou’s Musical Madness Challenge”. My song is “Skinny Love” By Bon Iver. Bonus track! “Tennessee Whiskey”, by Chris Stapleton. Any lyrics referenced will be italicized.]





	1. Skinny Love - Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> This fic will be several chapters long. It will be something of a slow burn. Not too slow. But I really wanna do right by this story. There will be several povs as well. They will be labeled.

If anything changes, in the series, those changes will be reflected on this page. Including Warnings and Characters.

* * *

 

[YouTube Video for Skinny Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxMHjTMkLHw)

[YouTube Video for Tennessee Whiskey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zAThXFOy2c)


	2. Skinny Love, Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Y/n) confronts her fiance at his office and begins to look for a new life. This chapter is based entirely on “Skinny Love”. Any lyrics referenced will be italicized.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My inspiration for this chapter was my own experience with abuse. He never hit me, but he came close. I was emotionally and verbally abused. We were very young and just starting our lives together. I walked away before things got to bad. I consider myself very lucky, despite the fact that I am still working through some of the things he did to me, even now, well over a decade later.
> 
> I know that this song is not about abuse. But this is where I took this prompt.

**(Y/n) POV  
**

Today is the day. I have to leave him. I can’t take anymore of this. My sanity is waning. My will is shaking. He could seriously hurt me, if I stay. Our first year together was amazing. But the second year. It was like dating a whole other person, and I wasn’t going to let another anniversary hit, dating this totally different being. I _can’t last_ another _year_  like this.

I’m standing in the bathroom, _staring at the sink_ ,  _covered in blood_ … My blood. The  _veneer is crushed_  where he threw me, last night. I’m lucky I didn’t end up in the ER. This is the first time he’s ever hit me. Before, it was just words; verbal abuse, emotional abuse. But last night, something switched in him and I don’t know what it was. He threw me against our bathroom sink and it almost broke my nose.

Jesse must have brushed his teeth in the kitchen because the bathroom sink is still a mess. I couldn’t clean it up. Not yet. I refuse to, now. I want him to remember, when he gets home. 

I have already taken a shower and gotten dressed. The last thing to do is to use makeup to cover the nasty bruises on my face. Hitting my face on the sink caused me to have two black eyes. I’m glad there isn’t any swelling.

Thankfully, I have my own car, which I had checked for anything in it that could track where I was going. Thankfully there wasn’t anything. I have my own bank account. I have my own means to survive. I called my job and told them what happened, apologizing for quitting without giving my two weeks. They totally understood and promised that I could still use them for references, if I ever look for work again. He hadn’t taken any of that away from me, which is surprising. I think it was coming to that, though. **  
**

He was already at work, so I had plenty of time to pack a bag. Actually, I pack all my bags. Throwing all of my clothes and all of my things that do not remind me of him, into suitcases. I leave behind my phone and my tablet after deleting everything on them. The burner I had purchased, is already charged and in my purse. I grab my laptop. I had already made sure there wasn’t anything on it that he could track me with. I didn’t want him knowing where I was going.

I get Salt from the backyard. He’s the pure white husky Jesse bought me for my birthday, the first year we were together. Salt wasn’t allowed in the house anymore, for whatever reason. I bring him inside, anyways, and pack the car. Thankfully the car was in the garage, so the neighbors don’t see. I can’t trust that they aren’t watching and reporting back to him.

When everything is done, I lock the house up, and drive to his office. I am not stupid enough to confront him at home. I really don’t want anything worse to happen, than what happened last night. Taking  _Salt_  with me, it will be as if  _we were never here._

When I arrive at his office, I pull Salt out of the backseat and attach his leash. Jesse’s office staff is familiar with me and Salt, having visited for lunch, more than once. I tell the lady at the front desk to keep it a surprise that I was there. She smiled at me and let me through the door.

I have no idea what I’m going to say. All I know is that I am leaving his sorry ass and I am not looking back. I get nervous the closer I get to his office door. The walls are all made of glass, but the blinds are down so I know he didn’t see me. I tap on the door and walk in. He looks up at me, a surprised expression on his face.

“(y/n) what are you doing here? And you brought the dog.” Jesse’s mood sowers a little as Salt sits next to me, while I stand in front of his desk.

“I thought I’d surprise my fiance at work. I know how much you love surprises.” I smirk at him.

He eyes the open door to his office. Trying to figure out how loud he can be before someone notices. I know that look. He is pissed I am here.  “(Y/n), whatever gave you that idea? I told you last night I was busy and needed to be left alone while I was at work. I told you the new rules. I will not tolerate this disobedience.” His voice straining to stay calm.

“After last night, I realized something. You are only going to get worse. I won’t stand for it.” I look at him, waiting for him to respond. **  
**

“ _I told you you_  needed to be  _patient_  with me. I am under a lot of stress. You know I didn’t mean it.  _I told you_  everything would  _be fine_ if you just gave me some space.” he looks at me like I just slapped him in the face.

“And when we first started dating, I told you I was afraid to _tell my love wreck it all and cut out all the ropes and let myself fall_  for you. I asked  _you to be kind._  That I needed  _balance_  in my life, after the heartbreak I went through before we got together. You promised me. But I guess we can’t always get what we want.” I set the engagement ring on his desk, close to the edge, where he can’t grab me.

Anger flashes across his face at the sight of the ring. “I knew this was going to be a waste of time. I wasted two years on you! You stupid bitch! Thank goodness I didn’t  _waste my love on you_ , too. At least I have that.” he sneers at me.

I sigh heavily. “And you  _wrecked all my love_  the second you threw me into that sink. Don’t bother trying to reach me.  _I’m breaking all my bridges_. I’m done with  _all your lines._  I left my phone and tablet at the house. Don’t worry, I didn’t break anything or take anything that was yours. If you bought it, I left it there. Except the dog. I am taking Salt with me, since I’m pretty sure he will die out in that yard if I leave him here. He’s in my name anyways. I made sure of that.”

His face begins to turn red from his escalating anger. What follows is sour defeat, which is surprising. “ _Who will love you_? Who will love you now?  _Who will fight_  for you? You aren’t young anymore. And you aren’t  _skinny, love_. Who’s going to fall for you? You will  _fall_  so far  _behind_  in life. You need me.”

“No. I don’t. I will love me. I will fight for me.” I start walking away. As I get to his doorway I add, “By the way, I sent your bosses pictures of what you did to me. You should never have introduced me to their wives. They adore me. I hope you enjoy your new life, without me.” And with that, I marched out the door, as fast as I could. Thankfully, he was too surprised to follow me right away, or I’m sure he’d have grabbed me. The anger and shock on his face was dangerous.

I’m already in the car, with the engine going, by the time I hear his shouting my name. I peel out of there, before he can get to my door. I laugh as I leave the parking structure. Salt licks my face, and we head for the open road. I don’t know where I’m going. Kansas sounds nice, this  ****time of year. I’m tired of the city. Maybe I can find a nice small farm and start over or something. I set my GPS for Kansas, and press go, getting onto the freeway to start my new life.


	3. Skinny Love, Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Y/n) and Salt are road tripping, but decides to stop for the night. She explores the town she’s in, for the day, deciding to stay a few extra days. She buys a crossbow with a very interesting history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter, I listened to a playlist, on Spotify. (Link in the chapter text.) Not for any reason in particular. It’s just songs I like to sing to when I travel. Songs about traveling, and songs to sing to while driving. So yeah. You don’t have to listen to it while you read this. I just thought I’d share it with you. :) 
> 
> Also, I hadn’t decided until now, but she’s driving from Maine to Kansas. So drive times and such will be based on that. 
> 
> Also mentioned is her buying an antique style crossbow. (Link in the chapter text.) I don’t know of any stores in OH that actually sell something like this (believe me, I looked), so let’s just pretend. Also, the one on the site isn’t for hunting things but the one she buys is. It’s been modified from a replica to a functioning crossbow. (I hate that modern crossbows built for women are all fucking PINK FOREST CAMO LIKE WHAT EVEN… so I decided on an antique style. It’s prettier and easier to maintain anyways…)

[Spotify Playlist  
](https://open.spotify.com/user/hippiegothgypsy/playlist/2eib5c9j7Xju4gu8gvdWw5?si=xzoOk6C3SSiltxbBJghi6g) [Link to Crossbow](https://www.medievalcollectibles.com/p-31314-curved-medieval-crossbow.aspx)

* * *

**(Y/n) POV**

Way too many hours into our trip, after many potty breaks, snacks, and refuels, we end up in Ohio. I stopped at a Motel 6 and checked in. The price was cheap, Salt can stay for free, and I can walk him around and we can explore on foot, since the motel is near downtown. But tonight we sleep. I pottied him, fed and watered him, then took him out one last time before bed.

The next morning, I take Salt for a walk. One thing I noticed, while wandering around downtown, is that there are a lot of archery ranges. I’ve never liked guns. I do sorta understand the use of them, but I don’t like them. But bows have always intrigued me. I’ve always been afraid to pick one up because they require a lot of strength to use and I’m not very strong. One thing that helped sway my decision was that every time someone exits these places, people would compliment Salt. He is much bigger than your usual husky. Not quite wolf size, but I suspect he isn’t 100% dog either. So consider myself shocked when people would walk right up to him and ask me if he was OK to pet. You ever look around a space and think to yourself “these are my people”? That’s what it felt like. So I wandered into the last one I came to. It was near closing time and there weren’t a lot of people inside.

The guy behind the counter greeted me with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. I think it had a lot to do with the dog strapped to my belt, obeying my every command. Salt could easily drag me around but he doesn’t. “Wow he’s huge!” he exclaims. I just smile at him.

“Yeah he was the runt of the litter. I am surprised he isn’t deaf in one ear, since he’s got the one blue eye. Usually white dogs and cats are deaf in the ear that sits next to the blue eye. I lucked out. I still taught him sign language though, just in case he ever lost his hearing. You can pet him if you want.” I beam with pride at my well behaved over-sized child.

He nods in understanding and walks around and pets Salt before getting back to his job, “Well, what can I do for you today? Are you looking to practice, learn, buy, trade, sell?”

I look at him surprised. “I… well… I’ve never shot a bow before. But I wanted to learn. And I needed to practice with Salt next to me so he can get use to not chasing after the arrows. I’m not very strong and the new models look so complicated. I prefer antique looking crossbows and such. Is there any way you can help me in my new adventure?”

The man, who’s name tag reads “Chase”, processes my words and seems to come to some sort of conclusion. “Well. We don’t have a lot of replica antiques, but I think I might have something you might like. It originally wasn’t meant to shoot true bolts, but has since been modified. The previous owner wanted something he could actually hunt with because he prefers the classic look as well. We acquired it in an estate sale after he passed away and I think it might be perfect for you. Let me go get it, along with the other accessories you might need so you can take a look at them.”

“Sounds good. I’ll just wait here.” I smile at him and sit in a chair in the waiting area off to the side of the door so I’m not taking up so much space in front of the intake desk. Much like a trained service dog, Salt sits under my feet, in between the legs of the chairs. **  
**

Chase returns some time later, carrying a box of all sorts of stuff. He calls me over and has me come behind the counter with him. I follow him, and we end up in an office off to the side of the front desk. Ok. My curiosity has officially being piqued.

“Alright. This bow comes with a lot of things.” He explains each item as he unloads the large plastic tote. There seems to be all sorts of sigils and symbols on the box. I don’t question this, but I do watch and listen carefully as he unloads each item. “Here we have the crossbow, itself. It is made out of Rowan. Also known as Mountain Ash. This is the oil used to keep the wood from drying out. There are extra bow strings in here in case your’s wears out. This is the part that projects the bolt. Speaking of bolts, there’s a bunch of different types. All custom made to go with this crossbow. You have some made out of just wood, some made with metal tips. And some that appear to be hollow. We haven’t figured out what’s meant to go in them, but the tips unscrew. There are some other things too, like a glove, for your shooting hand, so you don’t lose grip on your weapon. These are common for anyone who shoots any type of bow. Two of the fingers are out so that the bow string doesn’t catch on your glove. Here is the holster for your bolts. Usually this would strap to your back or side. But because your bolts are half the size of most others, this actually straps to your thigh for easier access. Each bolt fits into its own slot so you don’t lose them while you run. Here is a case for the crossbow. It is made out of leather. There is conditioner in there to keep the leather clean and supple. And lastly, the journal. No one has read it. We weren’t allowed to, as per instructions of the previous owner. He was a really… eccentric man. The only person who is allowed to open that book is the new owner of the crossbow. If you buy this weapon, everything you see here will be included.” He waits for my response.

I look over everything. I pick up of the crossbow. When I do, Salt immediately start to whine excitedly. I’ve never seen him act this way. So I hold it out to him and let him look over and he sniffs it and looks it over. He looks up at me and I swear to god he nods at me. Well that settles it. Salt has never steered me wrong before so I’m gonna go with my gut with this one. “I’ll take it. Salt seems to like it and that’s enough for me. How much will all this cost me?”

Chase is a little in shock at my words and notices how I’m holding the thing in my hands “You sure you’ve never shot a bow before? You are holding that thing like a seasoned pro. Most people have a basic idea of how to hold it but you have one finger on the trigger like it belongs there.”

I look down at the weapon in my hands. It’s smaller than I expected. Expertly weighted. Nicely balanced. I’m not sure how I know this. But I do know that this weapon was meant to be mine and I need to buy this. I shrug at the man in front of me and wait for him to answer me about the price.

He comes to his senses and realizes that I’ve asked him a question. “Oh. Uh. Sorry. Everything is included in the price. It will be a flat $100.” **  
**

I do a double take. “What? Everything here could easily be over $1000! Why so little?!”

He swallows thickly “To be quite honest, the thing scares me. Between the symbols, the link to the occult with what its made from, and the fact that the journal won’t open fro anyone… The owner of this place just wants it gone. The only reason why we got the thing is because the old man would bring his kids and grandkids in here to learn how to shoot, since he didn’t have a place of his own to teach them. So we were the only ones entrusted with it.”

“Well, consider it sold. I’m taking it. Now. what do I have to do to see about learning how to shoot this thing so I don’t hurt myself or someone else?”

A HUGE weight seems to be lifted off this poor man’s chest as we discuss range times and all that, since it is unique to want to bring Salt in with me. I told him that the dog doesn’t leave my side, ever, since I left my abusive ex and I need Salt to be use to the sound and the sight of flying projectiles. He agrees that this would be a good idea. And he makes a note to get in touch with the owner of the place so that he can teach me, himself. Something he’s done in the past. He also tells me that the owner will find a vest for Salt to wear to keep him safe so in case the crossbow accidentally goes off, I won’t hurt my dog. He tells me the owner has a soft spot for animals and probably won’t charge me extra. The owner is ex military and worked with the k-9 unit. This makes me smile big time.

I pay for my purchase, leave my contact information, and carry my box back to my room. Salt, of course, gives the man a lick goodbye, almost as if he was thanking him.

Once back to my room, I unpack the box and look over the contents. The hollow points are intriguing, since they appear to be made of glass. Interesting. I grab the journal and it feels almost alive. I swear I can feel something pulse through it as my hands caress the covers. I open the front cover and look it over. Inside the front page is a short paragraph about the man who owned the crossbow. His name, where he was born, and a short list of things… Every item in the box, in fact.

Engrossed in what I’m reading, I flip to the next page. It explains all of the sigils and symbols sort of etched into the surface of the plastic case everything came in. Some were general symbols of protection. Othere’s were there more obscure like one was an anti possession symbol (a pentagram inside of a sun), a devil’s trap (quite literally for trapping demons or for keeping them out of a thing). There were a few others as well. Some mentioned angels. I felt like I was reading a horror novel of the occult. But I pressed on.

The next page was a surprise. Written in beautiful scrawling handwriting, it read the following:

> _First thing’s first: **  
> **_
> 
> _It’s all real. Angels, demons, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, all of it. There are more, but we will get to that later. You need to understand that the world is constantly at war and only we know about it. Hunters. A small community of people who were affected by the underbelly of this existence. We span all over the world, but there aren’t many of us. This journal is my documentation of all of the things I have seen, all of the people I have met along the way, and information on how to protect yourself from the world._
> 
> _If you are reading this, that means that I am probably dead. I am an old man now, so this doesn’t surprise me. I am part of a lucky few who lived to an old age, who lived long enough to have kids and grand kids. But the big and bad in the world is picking up again and now this lore, and the bow need to be passed to someone who can use it to protect those who cannot protect themselves._
> 
> _The Crossbow: Give her a name. Take care of her. Protect her. And she will do the same for you._
> 
> _The next few pages will detail what to you use to maintain the crossbow, and what each type of bolt is, what they are made of, and how to make them yourself. I suggest you keep up on that._
> 
> _Also, get yourself an anti-possession tattoo. It will keep you safe. And lastly, there is a list of hunters and all their contact information. Get ahold of as many as you can. Connect with them. Don’t hunt alone if you can help it. Good luck, and God have mercy. You are going to need it._
> 
> _~Monty Channing, age 78_

**  
**I put the journal down and look at Salt, who had moved to sit next to me on the bed. “Salt, what the hell did I get myself into?” He looks at me and nudges my hand with his nose, as if to say “You got this.” I lift my hand and pet his head. He leans into my hand and wags his tail. **  
**

There’s more to read but I’m not ready yet. I don’t meet with the owner of the archery range until tomorrow night so I have all day tomorrow to read up on the maintenance of the weapon, along with whatever I feel like reading.

I pack everything back up, making sure that the lid is secure. I may not believe the old guy fully, but I wasn’t about to disrespect his wishes. I put the box next to the bed and order something for dinner. Once that’s eaten, I take a shower, and settle in for sleep. Salt burrows himself next to my side and we drift off to sleep, snoring.

 


	4. Skinny Love, Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Y/n) has some errands to run, before she can get back to reading the journal and before her appointment at the shooting range with her crossbow. Her encounters have been… interesting to say the least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is starting to be really fun to write. :D

**(Y/n) POV**

Salt’s whining wakes me up. That’s usually my clue to take him outside. I get up and tend to my own needs and get dressed. We head outside and take care of his business. I have some errands to run, today, before I get back to the journal and before my appointment tonight, at the range.

We get back inside and I look up the nearest butcher. I have some freeze dried raw food for him, but that’s only practical while we travel. I’m planning to stay here a few days so he needs real food.

I pack Salt into my car and we head on our way. We get there and I was going to leave Salt in the car, but something told me to bring him inside. The butcher looks up and I could tell he was going to protest but he seems to lock eyes with Salt and changes his mind. “Well, what do we have here! What a beautiful boy you have!”

I beam with pride. “This is Salt. We are here to pick up some food for him. I am traveling but I decided to stay a couple of days and needed more than the freeze dried stuff I have for him.”

The butcher smiles. “I got exactly what you need.” He proceeds to lay out several pounds of food, already nicely packaged. I eye him suspiciously. “Something told me to bag these up and now I know why.” He points to each package and tells me what each one is “This is chicken breasts. This one is chicken and beef hearts. This one is beef liver, beef and pork kidneys, chicken gizzards. And something for you: some fresh pork belly. Everything is pre-sliced or diced. Oh, and here’s the name of a nearby market that sells fresh eggs. All sorts. I don’t know why this was important, but it seems like it is.” He smiles at me.

“Wow, thank you! That’s exactly what I needed! Yeah I give Salt quail eggs with his raw food. Does the market still sell fresh veggies? I know that its towards the end of fall, so some things may be hard to come by.”

“You are in luck! Its a co-op so they sell year ‘round. The types of veggies sell vary as the year goes on, but I’m sure you can find what you need there.”

“Thank you so much! I was so worried that I’d have hard to buying food for him, since the butcher in my old town hated that we fed his precious cuts to my dog. I only feed him the best, so this is a relief. You have the best reviews and several dog owners were on the review page.”

He removes his apron and comes around the counter, big smile on his face. “Well, I had a dog that looked like Salt, when I was much younger and plus I have a soft spot in my heart for owners who really know what they are doing. May I pet him?”

I look over at Salt who seems to have a giant grin on his face. The tip of his tail is wagging. “Sure, he seems happy about it” and I chuckle.

The man leans down and scratches behind Salt’s ears and Salt greets him like they are old friends. He hardly ever acts this way with people. “You must be a good man. Salt hardly acts this way towards men. It’s a long story” I quickly explain, when the butcher looks at me with concern on his face.

“Well, the market closes in an hour. As much as I’d love to sit here and love on this giant, I don’t want to keep you any longer. Let me help you carry these to your car. I have a cooler you can take with you.” He goes back behind the counter and loads up a disposable cooler that seems to already have ice in it, and carries it to my car.

“Hey, so what do I owe you?” I ask him as I follow him back into his shop. He looks at me like I’ve grown two heads. Surprised I even asked.

“Well. Today is your lucky day. Those meats are on their last day. Not expired but I run a tight ship and I rotate my meat to make sure everything is super fresh. I was going to toss all that. So I’m not going to charge you. The meat will keep for about 4 days. Besides. You look like you could use a little help. An owner like you and a dog like this… Very special. I have a feeling about you both. I hope that whatever you are looking for you find. If you need anymore food, while in town, come to me. I will get you what you need.”

Shock must have been written all over my face. “Wow. Thank you so much. I don’t know what to say.”

“Ma’am, I saw your car. You are running either from or towards something. And your comment about Salt and men…. I have a feeling it’s both. I had a daughter, like you, once. She wasn’t able to get out before something bad happened. I think it was fate that you walked in my door. I knew as soon as I saw you that the food I had packaged was meant for you. I am happy to help. You have any trouble, here is my number. You give me a call. I will do what I can. Oh, and here’s the card for the co-op. It has the address on it as well.”

Tears swim in my eyes. I have no clue as to what to say. He gives Salt another head pat and shakes my hand. “You will be ok. You strike me a very strong. I’m glad you are finding your way.” I nod, unable to trust my voice.

Salt and I exit the man’s shop, and we get into the car.. The paper he handed me tells me that his name is Sal. I sit in my car and collect my thoughts. I program his number into my phone and then I add the address to the co-op into my GPS and we head on our way.

Once I arrive, I am surprised that there are so many dogs and dog owners. This city isn’t exactly dog friendly. I’m surprised I’ve been able to take Salt into as many places as I have. He isn’t a service dog. And I don’t think people mistake his as one, since he isn't wearing a vest. He’s just very well behaved. I don’t know. People seem drawn to him.

I get Salt out of the back of the car and we head inside. The market is surprisingly busy! It's the end of their business hours so I’m surprised there’s so many people inside. I wander around and grab what I need. Everyone is helpful and very nice. Everyone wants to pet Salt. He is eating up the attention. I can’t help but smile.

We are just about the head back to the motel, when we pass by a small shop with crystals and incense on display. I was going to pass it by since I want to save as much money as possible but Salt wouldn’t budge. He whines and goes to walk into the little shop like he’s on a mission.

“Salt, no! The sign says no pets! We can’t go inside there.” But he is much stronger than I am and my hands are full. His leash around my waist and he just pulls me forward. I sigh in frustration.

I call out to the shop owner “Hey, I’m so sorry. My dog is pulling me inside your shop and my hands are full. He doesn’t mean any harm. He’s never done this before!”

A musical voice greets my ears “It's alright deary. Sometimes creatures are drawn to this shop. I make exceptions.” Finally a form comes into view that belongs to the voice. She is a tall beautiful older lady. Her hair is swept up in a loose bun, with lots of loose strands hanging down. All of her hair is silver and I can tell it's very long. She’s wearing many layers. All in shades of purples and teals.

[X](https://www.pyramidcollection.com/itemdy00.aspx?T1=PF6132+PUBK+1X), [X](https://www.pyramidcollection.com/itemdy00.aspx?T1=PA8134+TEMU+L), [X](https://www.pyramidcollection.com/itemdy00.aspx?ID=165,4227&T1=PF5207+BK+35), [X](https://www.pyramidcollection.com/itemdy00.aspx?ID=239,4237&T1=PA8144), [X](https://www.pyramidcollection.com/itemdy00.aspx?ID=239,4236&T1=PF5162), [X](https://www.pyramidcollection.com/itemdy00.aspx?ID=239,4238&T1=PF7141), [X](https://www.pyramidcollection.com/itemdy00.aspx?ID=239,4238&T1=P51286), [X](https://www.pyramidcollection.com/itemdy00.aspx?ID=239,4238&T1=PD7148), [X](https://www.pyramidcollection.com/itemdy00.aspx?ID=239,4239&T1=JK5017+10), [X](https://www.pyramidcollection.com/itemdy00.aspx?ID=239,4239&T1=J81916+6), [X](https://www.pyramidcollection.com/itemdy00.aspx?ID=239,4239&T1=J75812+9)

She steps out from behind the curtain she’s standing inside of. Salt goes right up to her, towing me behind him.

“Well hello, darling boy! Aren’t you a large one! He is beautiful!” Without warning, Salt gently raises his front paws and puts them on her shoulders and licker her face.

I am, of course, horrified. “Salt! No! You don’t know if you will hurt her or not. Goodness what has gotten into you?” He looks back at me with a dog grin on his face like he’s proud of himself.

“Best listen to your mom, dear. But thank you for the kisses.” she laughs. It sounds like more music, almost.

He hops back down and sits at my feet. Of course he listens to her. I smirk down at him. “You cheeky boy!” and I laugh a little to let him know I’m not mad.

“Well, it seems you have a very special animal there, deary. You named him Salt? How unique. And very fitting. You have yourself a Dire Wolf descendant. And judging by that blue eye, he is part of the first line of them. A family long extinct. No wonder he’s so large. You can almost ride him like he’s a horse. Lucky you to have such a powerful Familiar.” Salt wags his tail at her words.

I am dumbfounded. “I thought he was just a large husky. My goodness. My ex boyfriend got him for me, when we first started dating. He said that he bought him from a street vendor near his office, during an art fair. He was the runt of the litter and no one wanted him because they assumed he was going to be half deaf because of the blue eye.”

“Our familiars have a way of finding us. Come. Sit. I will read your fortune for you.” She motions behind the curtain she’s holding open. Inside is a table and some chairs. She smiles warmly at me and Salt walks in, ahead of me. Almost as if he knows what’s going on. I’m glad one of us does.

I sit at the table and Salt climbs into the chair next to me. Well I never in my life. He’s never done that before. The seriousness on his face makes me giggle a little. He licks my face in response. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’ll be serious.” I tell him. He looks satisfied and waits for the lady to walk in.

When she settles in the chair across from me, Salt places one of his paws on the table. The lady puts one of her hands over it and places the other over one of mine. Interesting.

“Well now. This is interesting. You are escaping a bad situation? Your ex fiance hurt you. I can feel the pain in your face. He was a bad man. I’m glad you got out. You’ve acquired a powerful object. More than one, in fact. The journal. Have you read it yet?”

My eyes go wide. “Not yet. I got to the letter inside. I had to buy Salt some food first. And I stopped here before heading back.” She nods at me. “Well, before you go to the archery range, read the next few pages. They will help. You and Salt. Your future is destined for great things. Great and terrible. But you will get through them. With the help of several others. Find the list in the book, and contact as many as you can. Establish a lifeline with them. Mention the owner of the journal. It will help. I would also suggest getting into shape.” I’m about to protest when she raises her hand “I don’t mean get skinny, love. I mean get fit. You can be bigger than you are now and get strong. The point is to build muscle. You will need it to weild your new weapon. But it will come natural to you. Before you know it, you will be stronger than you ever thought you’d be. It’s already begun. Salt here. He is bigger than any dog I’ve ever encountered and you handle him better than anyone should be. It isn’t just that he lets you lead him. You tug back more than you realize. Your arms are already stronger than you realize.”

I look over at my giant child and it really starts to sink in just how large he is. The chair he is sitting in is way larger than a typical chair and he fills the whole thing. When he’s in the backseat of the car, he takes up the whole back seat. It just never occurred to me that he was unusually large.

She must have seen all this wash over me, or read my mind or whatever it is she was doing, because she smiled at me. “This new world you’ve entered. It will get easier to navigate. Your destination is Kansas. Keep going there. Lebanon is the main goal. You will find those who will help you. Something tells me you will meet them before you get there though. But keep heading in that direction. You will find exactly what you need. Now. I want to give you a few things.” She gets up and rummages around in a small box “Here. I’m sure you know what this is? Wear this until you can get the tattoo. It will keep you safe.” She hands me the tiny necklace. Its an anti possession charm. Because of course it is. I slip it on over my head. It settles inside my shirt, between my breasts, like it was meant to be there. I can feel it. It almost hums. She then hands me a second one but it obviously is meant for Salt, since its on a leather dog collar. “And this is for Salt. It will keep him safe. There are a few runes on the collar. Once its on him, only you can remove it. No one will be able to cut it off it or unbuckle it. No one. Not even god himself. Not that’d ever want to. And lastly. There’s this.” She hands me the collar and a small bag.

I open the bag and turn it over on the table. Inside is a little iron plate and matching screws. Engraved on the plate reads “Brenna”. I look at her curiously.

“This was meant for your crossbow. It means “burn” in Icelandic. I thought it fitting. Now you have Salt and Burn.” She grins at a joke I know I should know but I don't yet. “Don’t worry, you’ll get it after you read the journal.” I believe her.

“(Y/n), have faith in your abilities and in your dog. You were meant for this. It's part of your blood. You will save lives. You will become a hero. You took the first step and left that SOB who hurt you. Now get going before all the ice melts in your cooler and get your dog fed. No you don’t owe me for any of the things I’ve given you. Not even the collar. I’d go ahead and put it on him, before you walk out of here though. Its powerful and once you leave here it won’t be shielded until you put it on him.” I nod at her and follow her instructions. Once the collar is in place, I swear the runes glow for a minute. Salt licks my face and then climbs down from his chair. He licks the hand of the lady, and walks out of the small room we are in.

Well, alright then. I guess it's time to go. I walk out of the room and turn to thank the lady. But she’s nowhere to be found. Did I imagine this whole thing? Goodness today has been weird.

We head back to car and I pack all my items inside and we head back to the hotel room. Today has been interesting to say the least. I can’t wait to put the nameplate on my crossbow. I have a feeling tonight's going to be long.

We reach our room and set about preparing Salt’s meal. I give him extra since he didn’t get much for breakfast. I have about 8 hours before i have to be at the archery so I order some food and settle in.

Once the food arrives, I fry up some of the pork belly. The butcher sliced them into bacon slices. This will go perfect with my meal. Once that’s all done, I settle down at the table, and lay out the journal to start reading while I eat. Something tells me that this will be just as interesting as my day. Or more so. I just have a feeling about all this. I don’t know what prompted me to believe everything the lady said, but I felt like she was telling me the truth and that I should believe her.

I open the journal and begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is the life's blood that keeps me going.


	5. Skinny Love, Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Y/n) digs deep in to the journal and learns about her new weapon. She also gets a little taste of the world she’s walked into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You would not believe the amount of research I had to do for this chapter lol I think I spent a total of like 5 hours on one of the Supernatural wikis just to get all the info right. Good lord there was a lot of cross referencing lol Also, the drawing is done by me.

Quickly i turn passed all the pages I’ve already read. The first page that I haven’t read yet details the bolts, the various equipment used to make them (also included in the box). I just needed to find a forge, or someone who could use these tools for me. Ok then. Looks like I have a skill to learn. I’d like to maintain this myself, if I could. At the bottom of the page was a name and a number of a guy who apparently helped the previous owner to make what he needed. I hope the guy is still around. I program the number into my phone and read the page in more detail.

The main body of each bolt is made from the same wood as the crossbow: rowan. Or it's more common name: mountain ash. There are apparently many types of trees that fall under mountain ash. Rowan is often used for its mystical properties and toughness. Good to know.

Next are details about the ones that aren’t solid wood. I noticed that some have metal details, some shinier than other. I find out that the really shiny ones are silver tipped. The less shiny are tipped with iron. Interesting. I eagerly read on because the last set is tipped with glass. Inside the glass is another tip with a hole in it. The whole piece unscrews.. They fit inside each other perfectly, the hole is so that it can be filled. The whole piece unscrews from the bolt. The glass doesn’t separate from the metal.. The page suggests things like dead man’s blood -whatever that is-, salt mixed with holy water, and various other things that sound expensive. I really hope that the rest of the book details why these other things. I understood the salt and the holy water. Not so much the dead man’s blood.

Reading back over the one with the glass tip, the tip is meant to break on contact while the velocity of the bolt being launched from the crossbow is meant to force whatever was inside the glass to be pushed inside the body of the intended target. That’s clever. The metal tip inside insured that the tip didn’t just break and cause zero harm. Whoever thought all this up was a genius.

Making a note to look over the equipment for making the arrow tips and such, for after I eat, I turn the page. On this page is a more detailed list of the metals that can be used for making the tips and the - what i found out is called - fletching. That’s the feathers at the other end of the bolt or arrow. I didn’t know it had a name. Iron and silver are the most common, but there are other metals too and it details what these metals kill. Interesting.

On the page right after that lists different substances that can be put into the glass tips,  and what they are for. Mostly, it was a list of various uses for [ blood ](http://supernatural.wikia.com/wiki/Blood). Not all of it human blood, so I was a little taken aback by the listing of angels, vampires, werewolves, and so much more… Good lord there is a lot here. I really really hope that the rest of the book tells me more about all this. I mean we have our own lore but I really doubt it's anything like what they are really like.

The next few pages has a list of hunters and their contact information. Some of the names have  a red cross next to them. I assume they were killed in action. This life feels dark but necessary so it doesn’t surprise me. What does surprise me is that some of the names have the crosses, but then sometimes the cross is exed out in black. Some with exed out crosses have new crosses next to their names. The names that have the most exed out crosses carry the last name Winchester. Since two names don’t have any current red crosses, I add their names to my phone as well. I go down the list and add each name and number that doesn’t have a red cross. Or where the red cross was crossed out but not replaced like the two Winchesters. The list is long and I add a little knife emoji next to their names so I know why I added all these strange names to my phone.

A few hours passed while I read these pages. My meal is long gone and I’m starting to get further into the book. After the pages about the hunters, the pages detailed how to care for the bow, the bolts, the leather, all of that. Most of it I knew, some of it was news to me. The pages after that was a very long list of sigils and their uses. This list was huge. Some of the sigils were so detailed, they took up the whole page just to show all they symbols that took up the whole sigil. Some were for trapping demons. Others were for warding off angels and other various things. It was wild just how many there were. I was surprised. Some of them even seemed to glow a little. I bet that every single one of these sigils was active. None of the lines were broken so I assume that they were not only here to show what they are, but to also protect the book itself. If I held my hand over these pages long enough, i could almost feel them hum with power.

Time seemed to pass quickly. Before I knew it, I was in the section on the monsters and stuff. I wanted to save that for later so I put the book down. The longer I touched the book, the more and more I felt connected to it to my very bones. Like it was mine all along and we were reunited after a long time away.

Looking at the clock, I realized I had maybe three hours to eat again, shower, and ready Salt for our trip to the archery range for our first lesson. So I got busy. I ordered something small to snack on right before I left for the place, took my shower, dressed in something that wouldn’t get in the way of my movements, which consisted of yoga pants, and a work out tank top. I kept a jacket out, just in case it was chilly outside. I fed, watered, and pottied Salt. About 10 mins before I left, I ate the food I ordered, and then I loaded him and the box containing the crossbow into the car. The trip there was uneventful, but Salt looked hopeful. If a dog can look hopeful.

Driving passed Sal’s butcher shop, I waved as I saw him exit his shop. He waved and smiled at me. I know that with him, I’ve made a friend for life and I know that i can count on him if I need anything. People like Sal leave a lasting impression on your heart and soul. Something told me that he considered me family, even though our encounter was brief.

* * *

 

I finally reach the archery range and its dark inside except a few lights. The sign on the door said that it was open for lessons. I park, get Salt and the box out of the car, and make my way to the door. Its locked, of course, so I knock on it.

A very tall, very muscular man greets me. He must be the owner. I can tell from his clothes, haircut, and stance, that he is, indeed, ex military. He introduces himself as Carver, and I suspect that that is actually his last name. Salt and Carver eye each other like they are assessing if they are going to be enemies or not. Without a word, Salt walks over to the man and puts his nose in his hand and wags his tail. Glad to know my mystical familiar of a dog approves of my teacher. Carver seems to relax at this and guides us both deeper into the building.

“I’m sorry for the appearance of the place, but if I didn’t turn off most of the lights, people would never ever leave. I learned that the first year I was here. It was damn near impossible to close the doors. So I have taken to turning off most of the front lights about 30 minutes before we close so that more people don’t wander in. The door also only opens from the inside.” He explains, without turning around or moving his head to glance my way. I suspect he does this on purpose since he can sense I’m a little tense. Even Salt has picked up on it.

“Thank you for doing this. I know I probably don’t look like your typical client. I hope I don’t look ridiculous. I don’t want to make a fool of myself, but i feel like I really need to do this.” we are still walking while we talk and he nods his head, acknowledging what I’ve said.

“We get all types here. I do have to say that having a dog in the facility is a first, but not unwelcome. I am actually impressed you wanted to bring him along. I have a vest you can put on him. It’s the color of snow camo so it shouldn’t stand out against his fur too harshly, except the bright orange reflective edges. That was added later to make it safe for pets to wear while hunting with their owners. So they don’t get mistaken for something worthy of a shot.” he finally stops in front of a door, opens it, and motions for me to walk in.

I go and inside is a very large room. There are very large booths, similar to a gun range, with movable targets and all that. The spaces in each one is much larger though, to accommodate the various bows and things, since they are much larger than the guns allowed in this state.

He guides me to a table, inside the office in this practice room,  and grabs the box from me. He lays out the crossbow, the bolts, and the quiver. He goes to a small room off to the side and brings out the vest for Salt. He lays this down on the table as well.

“First things first, you need to learn how to put the vest on properly. Then we will move on to making sure you know how to load your quiver and your crossbow correctly. This is all the basics. You have to start from the bottom or you will never get it right from here after. Why don’t you show me what you know and we can go from there. I will correct any mistakes and have you practice a few times if you need it, so you get it down pat.” he looks me over. I see something flicker in his eyes. Hope, maybe? I think he hopes that I am smarter than he thinks I look.

I pick up the vest. Safety first. I look over the thing. It isn’t difficult to figure out how it goes. It looks like a glorified harness. Much thicker but the fabric is still soft and pliable. When I lift it off the table, Salt stands next to me, feet apart, waiting for me to put it on him. I lay it over his shoulders, lining up the curves for his front legs. I extend the straps to too large so I can adjust them to the perfect fit once they are secured. I start at his chest and secure it. There are heavy duty harness clips on either side of his neck. I secure them. Then I bring up the part that covers his belly and secure that as well. One by one I tighten the straps, have him sit and readjust them so they aren’t too tight for him to sit and move around. I am honestly surprised it fits him. It is long, ending almost at the base of his tail, and the part for his belly ends just high enough so he won’t pee on it, and can sit comfortably.

When I’m done, and satisfied with the fit, Salt walks over to Carver… Almost like he knew he was suppose to, so that the man could inspect my work.

“Well done, you get an A+. You even extended the straps too long for the first fitting and then adjusted them a second time while he was sitting. Most people do not think of that. I’m impressed.” He doesn’t smile at me, but there is a little sparkle in his eyes.

“Ok, next is loading your quiver, and making sure your bow string is at the proper tension. You can’t use your crossbow without either. I only pulled out the metal tipped bolts but pick what you like and let me see what you can do.” he steps back again and waits for me to do my thing.

He had pulled out the silver and the iron tipped bolts. I put back the silver ones. I don’t want to damage them with just practice firing. I strap the quiver to my right leg, since I am right handed, and I load the bolts, point down, into the quiver. I use up all the spaces closest to the outer edge, and then stand there and go to grab a bolt like I was going to load my crossbow. I re-adjust the straps to bring it just a smidge higher on my leg and secure the top strap around my waist. Satisfied with that I move on to the bow. I don’t think he knew that inside the book detailed how to check the strings and such so I am pretty sure I am about to impress this man again.

I check the string for any damages, tug on it a little to make sure that the elastic inside isn’t degraded, and I draw back the pulley system. The strings are a certain size to fit this specific model so I make sure that it isn’t loose while its drawn back. It isn’t. I pull the trigger to release the tension and I wait.

“Very very good! Either you had a manual, or you already knew all this stuff. Either way, I’m glad I don’t have to teach you how to do that and we can go right in to basic commands for your dog and then on to learning to aim and shoot.” the twinkle is back in his eyes and I can see a small crinkle around the corners. I am pretty sure I will have this man smiling by the end of the night.

I don’t know why I want to impress him. Maybe it's my lack of confidence. He’s a strong muscled man, and I am…. Well… Very round, and not very muscular. I’m also very short. I guess maybe I just want to prove to him that I’m not a waste of time. I sense that he is patient when he needs to be but also that he’s very tired. I want to learn this because I feel it is my calling. I only hope he doesn’t think I want to do this for the novelty of it. And if he does, then I want to prove him wrong.

“Well, Salt already knows some commands. I thought he was going to be deaf, in at least in one ear, so I taught him several voiceless commands.It's become second nature for us, since I don’t know if he hearing will go as he ages or not..  I use it so much, I don’t even think about it, and most of the time he just looks like he’s making his own mind to do this or that. People rarely see the gestures. Sometimes I don’t even need my hands anymore. I just use my eyes. Lucky me, since this will come in handy if I’m ever out in the woods hunting with him. ”

Carver looks at me with disbelief in his eyes. So I show him. I bring my hands down to my sides. Salt watches me because this usually signals the start of a command. I then ball my right hand into a fist but leave my index and middle finger out and barely tap the seam on my pants. Salt walks over, turns around, and sits with his body lined up next to mine and his eyes on me waiting for my next command. I then move my eyes and look over to the left side of my body and then tap my left leg in the same way. Salt gets up, walks behind me, and sits down on the my left side, lined up with my leg. I take my hand and bend it up at the wrist, flattening my fingers so that my hand is parallel to the floor. Salt then lays down. I tilt my head to the left, as if i was pointing with the crown of my head. He then lays down on his side. One last move, since I’m pretty sure Carver is getting the idea, I bring my left arm, extend my and and bend my elbow so that my left arm crosses so that my fingers touch my right shoulder. Salt gets up, walks in front of me, and sits directly in front of me, looking up at my face. I flick my eyes to the ceiling for a brief second and he raises one of his paws as if to shake. I bend down, take it in my hand, give it a shake and then kiss his nose. A signal that he was a good boy and he did everything right.

This took all of maybe five minutes and looking at Carver, you’d have sworn I’d slapped him. “Well I’ll be. I’ve never seen such discipline. What did you do to get him to listen to you?”

“I just talked to him like he wasn’t a dumb animal. He’s always seemed smart. The eyes gestures and head tilts didn’t come until he mastered the hand motions. It just sorta developed over time. I rarely use the hand gestures anymore but he never seems to forget them. I have a few more like one for “stay” and “ok” when I set his food dish down and he can eat…” I trail off as Carver’s eyes begin to glaze over. I fear I’ve spoken too much and stop talking all together sorta mid sentence.

Carver takes a moment to come back to himself. I wonder if he was already forming a plan as to what I needed to do with Salt while I practice shot. As it turns out, I was right. He wasn’t being rude to me, his mind was just getting busy with the planing bit.

“Ok, so I think the only commands you really need to use are one for “stay” and maybe one for “retrieve” and “come”. Other than that, I think he’s all set. Why don’t we go back out to the main part of the range and get started. I have set each booth up with a hay target covered with a plastic covering that has a bulls-eye on it. It won’t damage your bolts. Each one is set at a different distance. The one furthest from this office will be set all the way back from the firing area. I want to see how well you can shoot from each distance.” he opens the door for me and the three of us walk out.

The booths are open in the front, unlike at a gun range that have a little counter in front of you for you to set things on. Instead, there are hooks on the walls of the booth to hang the bows and quivers on.

I get to the first booth and get in position. Salt sits at my side and I put my hand down to his nose which tells him to stay put no matter what. I ready my crossbow, ready the shot and fire. It hits the outermost ring of the bulls eye. I know I can do better so I try again, now that I have a sorta feel for how it will go. I do it again and this time I get closer to the middle.

Carver gives me a satisfied nod and I do a twirling motion with my hand and Salt goes and retrieves my bolts. I am impressed, he’s barely dented the wood. We move on down the line. Each time the first shot is off by some and the second is closer to target. By the time we reach the final target, it is the exact same. I am hitting each target in the same exact two spots. Which doesn’t make any damn sense to me. I mean what are the damn odds?

Carver looks at each target and back at me. “Have you ever had your eyes checked? I think you may need glasses or contacts. These spots are at a certain angle and I am pretty sure it's what your eyes can focus on.” I look at him like he’s grown two heads.

“Uh. Well. No. I never thought about it. My vision seems fine, but I will book an appointment somewhere tomorrow that does same day and see what they say.” He nods in approval.

I was wrong about him smiling but he was much less cold than in the beginning. “You did good, kiddo. Not many first timers get a feel for this as fast as you do. You didn’t once stumble or drop your weapon. Your dog listened to you every single time. I am impressed. Once you know the status of your eyes, book another appointment here. Now that I know you can shoot, you can come at any time of the day and practice. It would probably be good to practice with the sound of a lot of people around. It's easy to focus when the room is silent.”

I smile at him. He helps me pack up my things, I shake his hand, and he walks me out. He gives Salt a good pat on the head, and scratches his ears. Salt licks his hand and we get in the car.

This took all of 4 hours. The range is huge. I shot maybe 40 or 50 times or something like that. My hand and wrist is tired. I will have to invest in something for support for it. I ingest everything that Carver explained to me while I was there. He’d comment about my stance or my grip, but was never condescending or rude. He let me keep the vest and it is now packed in the box with everything else. I will have to put runes on it.

* * *

 

By the time we get back to the motel, it is very late. I’m hungry, Salt is hungry and no one is delivering. I drive to the diner that’s down the road from the motel. Salt is at my heels and we head to the very back so we are out of the way, in a booth. Everyone notices but no one says anything. Salt sits under the table on the other side from me, and when the waitress comes to get my order she offers to bring him something. I tell her “if you have any fresh raw chicken and clean innards, he’ll eat those.” She makes a cute scrunched up face but smiles and adds that to the order.

I sit there and sip my coffee, relaxing from my day. The cook stops by and offers me a large bowl of water for Salt. I thank him, graciously. I know dogs aren’t allowed and he isn’t a service dog. I don’t ever pretend he is and he doesn’t wear a vest ever. So I have no idea why people are acting like he’s just like any other customer. Maybe it's the late hour. Maybe it's the nature of what he is since everyone who meets him is unafraid of him despite his size. I mean he barely fits under the table he’s so long. But the staff here has been nothing but kind to us and I can’t help but smile.

The waitress, whose name I learned was Darlene, brings me my food, refills my drinks, refills Salt’s water bowl, and brings out his raw meat. We chat for a bit since the place is almost empty. She’s a nice woman, has a small son, and has been married to the cook, whose name is Frank, for 15 years. They got married right out of high school and have ran this diner practically since then. No wonder they are so nice to me. They own the joint. This makes me laugh a little.

We finish our meal and I leave Darlene a large tip and I thank her husband for the food for Salt. We head back to the motel. I walk him around all the grassy areas so he can potty, and then get ready for bed. Its nearly 3am by the time I am ready to crawl into bed. I had to put everything away and shower.

Salt and I settle in for sleep and we are both snoring almost before both of our eyes are shut and our heads hit our pillows. Today was a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is the life's blood that keeps me going.


End file.
